


Sunlit Days of Us

by Michevalier



Category: Yu-Gi-Oh! ARC-V, Yu-Gi-Oh! VRAINS
Genre: Akiema, Aozu, Domestic Fluff, Established Relationship, F/F, F/M, Fluff, Humor, I wonder what Aoi/Yuzu ship name could be, Multi, One Shot, Slice of Life, and a bit of angst, hireshipping, me is not me without it lol, of course
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-03-26
Updated: 2018-03-26
Packaged: 2019-04-07 20:32:39
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,884
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14089089
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Michevalier/pseuds/Michevalier
Summary: Aoi is happy in relationship with Yuzu. Akira approves... at least to extent of his awareness so far. And Ema? Why is she being so sly, emphasizing how nice is that Aoi found herself a girlfriend "like her"?





	Sunlit Days of Us

**Author's Note:**

> I had this idea for a while and posting it around the time of Arc-V anniversary is all but appropriate lol <3
> 
> Oh, small side note: yes, Yuzu's sisters are other Bracelet Girls :)

Music never ceased to mix with sunlight shimmering into windows of luxurious Zaizens' apartment ever since one particular girl bursted into Aoi's life, filled it with bright, jolly colors and refused to leave. The younger Zaizen sighed and wiped sweat from her forehead as the music captivated her and forced to stop "witchcrafting" over the chicken so that she could have a moment of rest and take a peek into the living room. The sight in there was in no way new to Aoi, and yet it kept, over and over again, making her heart flutter as if it was the very first time.

Her girlfriend's white delicate fingers were touching, caressing the small harp's strings. A couple of butterflies flew into the room through the opened window and were fluttering around the source of sweet music, and Aoi felt as if her heart was just like those butterflies. She was suddenly eager to give up her human's guise and grow wings of her own just so she could hover freely on the invisible waves of notes laced with tenderness and entangle herself into that lovely pink hair floating in the wind.

But then the magical fantasy got overshadowed by the warm look of Yuzu's pretty saphire blue eyes as she noticed flustered Aoi behind the corner.

"Sorry," she chuckled, putting away her harp. "I think it's unfair of me to sit around and do nothing while the dinner is all but on your shoulders alone."

"N-no, it's alright," Aoi had serious problems with getting rid of rosy tint on her cheeks as Yuzu approached her. "You're our guest after all."

"Well, I can still be helpfu..." as soon as she stepped into the kitchen her eyes went bug-like. The entire room was white with flour scattered literally everywhere on the floor. "Oh my, I suppose you _do_ need help."

Aoi muttered something, timidly tugging at her apron. Most of the cooking was done by their family's robo maid, the girl herself was used to cooking mostly simple meals and it was the first time when she attempted to do something as complicated as crusty ginger fried chicken with lemon juice and mashed potato.

"Just let me give you a hand sweetie," Yuzu mischeviously pecked her girlfriend's cheek, not minding at all that Aoi was covered in the flour herself from head to toes.

As soon as Yuzu got involved everything went tenfolds quicker and funnier as she decided to "get even" with Aoi and strewed herself with plenty of the said flour.

It had always been like this with Hiragi Yuzu. Ever since she transferred to their school after moving into this city with her family at the end of the freshman year, since she enthusiastically joined the class and Duel Club Aoi was in... since they started dating in the middle their sophomore year.

"Look," Yuzu giggled, drawing with her finger an angel in a pile of flour.

Yes, it had always been like this.

This fun.

"It has to be cleaned," Aoi threw a quick glance in the robo maid's direction as she put the chicken into oven and set the kitchen timer.

"We need to clean ourselves too..." Yuzu gave her beloved a foxy look. "Shower? Together?"

Aoi's cheeks glowed vermilion, but she couldn't fight back when the girl promptly grabbed her hand and adamantly tugged her towards the bathroom.

Ever since their relationship crossed the fragile line between "friends" and "girlfriends" it became normal for them to spend weekends together either at Aoi's or Yuzu's house. A couple of visits were enough to get accustomed and learn every corner at each other's places that basically in no time became almost like second home.

"It's so hot today," Yuzu streched out after they came out of shower in fresh change of clothes. "I think the best way to dry ourselves would be to spend some time on the balcony, agree?"

Aoi nodded and followed the girl, but not before they made sure the chicken was nice and dandy as it was in the middle of being cooked and waiting its star hour to be served.

Exactly one year ago the idea of letting someone so close into her personal space would have never crossed the younger Zaizen's mind. Aoi seriously wondered sometimes, was Hiragi Yuzu a fairy of some sort? Ever since she became her classmate, ever since she turned out one of the few people who sincerely wanted to approach, to talk to Aoi without any ulterior motives. Actually, at least for the first month of their communication Aoi was not ready to completely let go of her suspicion regarding this topic, but every day Yuzu proved her paranoia wrong with every crystal clear look, every beaming smile that miraculously cured Aoi's soul little by little.

"It's so nice and sunny today," Yuzu giggled, relaxing in a folding chair, specifically in the very same pose Aoi was in. "Too bad we need to go to school tommorow."

"I must confess I'm a bit envy of brother having a vacation now," Aoi was mesmerized by watching the puffy clouds floating above, especially her eyes were glued to the one that resembled Yuzu's head whenever she would wear her pigtails.

"Ca-ra-mel!"

Yuzu intoned, threateningly raising her claws and casting a grim shadow all over Aoi. but before the latter could squeak she was attacked with a shower of tickles.

"W-whoa, h-hey!" Aoi managed to whimper through the giggles. "Y-Yuzu-chan..! What are you..."

"You were grumpy again," she puffed her cheeks akin to a hamster as she decided to spare her lover. "And you know this is the only face I won't tolerate from you."

Aoi giggled, this time with tickles having nothing to do with it.

"You know," Yuzu suddenly suggested as she twirled a strand of caramel brown hair around her finger, "my dad got five places booked in a sanatorium outside of the city for next weekend."

"Five?" Aoi blinked, a twinge of anxiety was like a thorn prickle as she got addicted to her girlfriend's company so much that a single weekend apart seemed... "You're not going be around then..?"

"No-no," Yuzu's laugh was akin to a little birdie's chirping. "Dad won't be going with us."

"Eh? But the fifth place..."

"Is meant for you."

Aoi couldn't help but let a quiet gasp out as Yuzu chuckled.

"You're gonna spend next weekend on a little nice voyage with Hiragi sisters."

"O-oh!" Aoi's eyes shone at the perspective but then her winged soul returned back to Earth. "But your dad having to spend money for five places..."

"Don't worry about that!" Yuzu shook her head, smiling cheerfully. "You know my old man really likes you. He even jokes about you being his fifth daughter, so, hehe."

Aoi smiled back, though a bit awkwardly as she still wasn't entirely used to Yuzu's father being so liberal in everything... including his own daughter dating a girl.

"Besides," the pink-haired girl playfully put a finger to her lips, "I think now that your brother has finally got himself a fiancee, the two lovebirds need to stretch the wings of their own, if you know what I'm saying?"

The wink Yuzu gave her made Aoi inevitably go all blushy as she still had some difficulties with her brother actually getting engaged into _that_ sort of relationship and, especially, with a woman like...

"Oh?" Yuzu reacted to the sound of a front door opening. "They are back already?"

The girls went into the living room and indeed saw Akira and Ema coming in.

"Brother? Ema-san? I thought you said you would stay at the beach for this entire day and return only after sun..." then Aoi gasped as she noticed Ema helping her brother walk as she held his arm thrown over her shoulder, leading him slowly. "Wait, what happened?!"

"It's... oof!" Akira groaned as he was dropped and put into horizontal position on the coach. "Jellyfish..."

"Stung. Twice. On thigh," Ema reported, making sure he was comfortable as she put a cushion under his head.

"Wow, you stumbled upon jellyfish? In local waters?" Yuzu was surprised.

"An entire smack of them at that... ow," the older Zaizen grunted.

"Brother!" Aoi called up the robo maid with a med kit.

"He already had the first aid administered," Ema sat next to Akira and patted the hurt leg, making the "victim" hiss. "Geez. When you see a smack of those swimming next to you you shouldn't go and try to pick one of them up!"

"Curse my nostalgia," Akira grit his teeth. "When I was a kid I often saw my father doing that without any trouble."

"Perhaps those were more human-friendly," Ema sighed. "Or maybe your dad was extra cautious while dealing with them."

"I know that much now... uh. The most funny is that father held them bare-handed. I've even got some photos."

"You can show them later," a small smile quirked Ema's red lips as she suddenly threw her head back and demonstratively sniffed. "After... the dinner?"

A mute scream of horror ripped out of Aoi's throat as she caught the burnt smell and bolted towards the kitchen.

"Ouch!" Yuzu hurried after the girl and came across her coming back with a coal black chicken. "Ooh..."

"It might still be edible you kno..." Ema walked up to them but, seeing the state the dish was in, changed her mind mid-word. "Oh my... I think we'll need to order a pizza, sorry."

"Is something wrong?" Akira lying on the coach like a sack of potato remained oblivious to his sister's pre-crying state which made Ema threw an intense glare at him.

"Nope," she approached him and slapped his "bad" leg, making him bulge his eyes and bite his lips in a pathetic whine. "I'm just saying that we're having some pizza tonight."

As Ema grapped her phone, Yuzu gave her girlfriend a gentle and comforting glance, and, as Aoi returned it, they held their hands, entwining their fingers in hush-hush from Akira's sight.

When the pizza, huge and family-sized, arrived, the prettiest population in the house a.k.a Ema, Aoi and Yuzu surrounded Akira as he was lying on the coach akin to a king while they settled themselves on cushions put directly onto the floor. They turned on TV and... the first thing they had to see was another win by a Charisma Duelist who was now proudly proclaimed to be LINK VRAINS's new poster girl.

"Aoi..." Akira worryingly looked at his sister.

Ever since she became friends with Hiragi Yuzu she grew more disinterested to log in and keep her ratings at the top. More and more often Aoi would gladly prefer reality to virtuality and spend time with a real, flesh-and-blood acquintance rather than being worshiped by virtual folks who quickly forgot about Blue Angel in favor of the new girl.

"It's okay, brother," Aoi calmly sipped her tea, watching the new idol eagerly striking quite frivolous poses for dozens of cameras. "I'm only glad that someone managed to get their star hour. This Sparky Celes girl sure seems like it had been her life-long dream to push Blue Angel from the pedestal. I have nothing against that."

Akira sighed and couldn't help his lips curving into a smile.

He had to be honest with himself and admit that he was actually happy that apparently, little by little, Aoi seemed to regain control over her own life without depending that heavily on her virtual persona to be happy.

"I'm very grateful to you, Yuzu-chan," Akira was unable to hold back his feelings. "It's so nice Aoi has got such a good friend."

Yuzu shuddered at these words and lowered her eyes shyly, blushing.

Aoi's reaction was almost identical, except that her blush was a bit darker as she noticed Ema's ambigious smile before it was hidden behind her cup of coffee.

The woman _definitely_ felt amused and privileged that Aoi entrusted her with the secret how her and Yuzu's "friendship" evolved after that spontaneous kiss in the darkness of the cinema. Even if Ema seemed to treat this light-heartedly, much to Aoi's chagrin, she was actually quite serious in guarding her "little sis"s secret and taking time to "prepare" Akira for inevitable eventual coming out.

Yes... Akira _sure_ needed to be prepared for the news of his sister having a girlfriend, especially when his own brain couldn't fully process the fact of his betrothal to Ema yet.

Aoi kept secretly staring at the woman, her words that she was happy that "Aoi-chan got herself a girlfriend like her, Ema" kept her senses in state of ever-alarmed. But whenever Aoi tried to ask her which criteria aside from pink hair exactly defined "a girlfriend like her", Ema would respond with only one mysterious smile alone. And yet the woman always seemed to be fully trustworthy, much to Aoi's surprise and even more of surprise that the girl eventually got used to consider Ema as her "big sister".

"Um, brother?" Aoi's heart though was racing still like a puppy as she spoke timidly. "Yuzu-chan suggested something for our next weekend..."

She told Akira about the trip to sanatorium with Yuzu and her sisters.

"Why not?" the man listened to her and smiled softly. "It's nothing but great to spend some time outside of this noisy and dusty city."

The girls gave each other eloquent looks and deep inside sighed with relief, but than the moment was interrupted by Yuzu's phone ringtone.

"Ooh..." the girl's mood seemingly went down after she answered the call. "I'm sorry, Aoi-chan. I can't stay overnight cause my dad needs exclusevily my help for something."

"Ah..." Aoi got visibly upset as well, realizing that for tonight she was deprived of the possibility to inhale her lover's flower-scented body odor as they would snuggle in bed together. "It's alright. We still have tommorow and more to catch up."

"That we do," Yuzu smiled a bit awkwardly as she picked up her harp.

"Yuzu-chan," Ema suddenly got up. "Wait just a second. I'll give you a ride."

"Oh, thank you, Ema-san," the girl replied politely while scratching her head somewhat nervously. "But I think I'm gonna be fine with walking on..."

"It's fine, it's fine," the woman dismissed any complaints by swiftly waving her hand and preparing to go out. "Having a bit more of fresh air is nice, and helping out Aoi's friend is nothing but pleasure to me."

Naturally, Aoi got flustered about Ema kinda emphasizing the word "friend" and her sly look when she and Yuzu gave each other a light peck on cheeks as they departed, but... her brother still failed to notice anything.

"Don't you eat all pizza without me," Ema gave Zaizens a pout before closing the door, "or I won't forgive you."

~~~

"Huh? Where are we?" Yuzu blinked in confusion, looking around.

She honestly couldn't understand the reason behind Ema straying from the designated root and stopping next to the bridge.

"Fear not, I'm not gonna bite you," the woman got off her motorcycle and jerked her head, beckoning Yuzu to do the same. "Though it heavily depends on what are you gonna tell me now."

"Tell you what?" the girl has hard time hiding how uneasy she felt under intense gaze of Ema's pink eyes.

"Hiragi Yuzu-chan," she sighed and leaned against the fence. "Did you really think I would let my "little sister" date a girl without digging any piece of info on her and her family beforehand?"

"What do you mea..."

"I won't beat around the bush," Ema cut off her incoherent mewling. "Your family moved to Den City to open a Dueling School that pretty much represented an idea of real-life game in opposition to local style that cannot exist outside of VR, right?"

"Well, yes," Yuzu nodded, still being completely lost at such a sudden "interrogation". "My father hopes to get at least some students as he believes that real-life dueling hasn't completely perished in this city. That's why..."

"That's why your first and foremost goal is to recruit onto your side the LINK VRAINS's glorious idol, the Blue Angel herself, mm?"

Yuzu shuddered at the creeps, the chill that went down her spine as Ema's red lips twisted into a huge, artificial-looking smile.

"I must say, I'm impressed by your father's elaborate strategy," the woman chuckled at her "omni-knowledge". "He's a great businessman, indeed. Letting his daughter woo a girl who _coincidentally_ happens to be a potential golden mine for his school... What can I say? Bravo?"

When Ema gave her a little clap, Yuzu felt imaginary claws digging right into her heart and as it bled she clenched her trembling fists.

"So you're implying..." she couldn't control her blood boiling with anger. "...I'm with Aoi solely because of convenience?"

"Who knows?" Ema glared back at her, furrowing her brows and somehow resembling a tigress ready to attack any moment. "I simply find it hard to believe that businessmen like Hiragis would miss the chance to promote themselves this much?"

"I..." distressed, Yuzu let her grasp fall free. "I never told dad that Aoi was Blue Angel."

"Even so," Ema shrugged, "the name "Zaizen" and its connection to SOL Technologies is still well-known. Why do you think Aoi-chan avoided befriending peers until you appeared? Do you know how many vain and petty people she came across?"

"I... know. She told me about this herself."

Ema never stopped piercing her with distrustful look, and yet Yuzu managed to bring up all her courage, take a gulp, take a breath and start talking out, spilling out her honest feelings.

"...I would be a hypocrite if I said I initially didn't see any benefit in approaching Zaizen Aoi at school. My dad did make a research on SOL Technologies and possible ways of getting in touch with any of its employees. To think that a Zaizen happened to be in the same class as me... of course, father encouraged me to get to know Aoi and, by extension, her older brother who could potentially lend a help in settling our school."

"Why am I not surprised..?" Ema sighed and slowly shook her head as she crossed her arms.

"But..!" Yuzu bit her lips and clenched her fists again. "I abandoded this lowly intention as soon as I spoke to Aoi for the first time."

"Hmm?" the woman raised her eyebrows as she found herself lowering her guard at the sight of the girl's blue eyes, eyes that seemed somehow clearer than ever before. "Did you really..?"

"I did."

Yuzu nodded with such confidence that Ema hid her claws and fangs and became willing to listen.

"What made you do that though?"

"Well..." the girl cupped her hands and close her eyes, reviving the memory of Aoi's misleadingly unemotional and cold face with mournful, awfully miserable eyes, eyes that were supposed to be jolly and warm since they reminded Yuzu caramel so much.

"Well?" Ema frowned again as sincere concern kept painfully throbbing inside her chest.

"Rain clouds."

The woman's eyes went wide, but the expression on Yuzu's face simply screamed about how serious she was, so Ema could do nothing but carefully ask.

"Rain clouds?"

"Yeah..." Yuzu looked to the side, her face nothing but gloomy. "I saw them hovering about Aoi's head, so heavy and gray, almost black. Apparently, nobody else could see those clouds as they were blinded by their own suns shining right into their faces and making them smile. Aoi was left all alone, one on one with those terrible clouds that seemed to grow heavier day by day, about to crush, destroy her any moment."

She stopped talking for a moment, obviously feeling her heart being crushed itself, and it didn't slip past Ema's attention.

"So..." she softly asked, refraining from causing any more pressure now. "You really wanted to become her friend then?"

"I did," Yuzu answered immediatelly, without hesitation. "I knew that I would probably, most likely fail to chase all those dark clouds away, but at least a tiny bit of sunshine, a single beam... at least that much I hoped I could give her."

The girl froze on spot, pretty much numb or in stupor in the aftermath of her confession, not thinking about anything anymore, not hoping in the slightest that Ema would reconsider her previous suspicions.

"I know you won't believe me," Yuzu chuckled bitterly. "I'm being way too poetic in expressing my feelings. Besides, it's hard not to suspect someone of trying to get any sort of benefits when they form a relationship with somebody like Zaizens. I understand."

Suddenly, Ema herself discovered her heart turning numb as it skipped a beat and for a brief moment, literally a single blink of her eyes, Yuzu's image overlapped with another one. 

Yes, Ema saw another girl with pink hair and clumsy, miserable excuse of a smile as she tried so desperately to become happy and not make a burden of herself... _how long has it been since Bessho Ema saw her through the looking glass?_

"But what about you, Ema-san?" and suddenly Yuzu's crystal clear eyes turned into mirrors themselves, reflecting that long-forgotten image of the awkward girl with pointed, elf-like ears. "You're engaged to Akira-san and he's seemingly not a man of your social circle. Aoi told me so many times she finds your relationship... weird?"

"Heh," Ema tucked a strand of hair behind her ear as non-chalantly as she could act at the moment. "Aoi trusts you this much, hm?"

"It seems," Yuzu humbly lowered her gaze, "she does." 

"Well," the woman chuckled mysteriously. "I've got my own plans for having Akira-san by my side. He could easily provide me with all means necessary to make my dreams come true."

"What dreams?" Yuzu's large blue eyes looked so naive as she blinked, but Ema only gave her a cunning smile as she ruffled her hair and intoned.

"I'm not telling~"

The woman walked towards her motorcycle, suddenly all cool and calm as if her conversation with the utterly confused girl never happened.

"Okay, you've passed this first level of security!" she indulgently announced as she threw Yuzu a helmet and gave her a thumb up. 

"Uum, first... what?" the girl could only blink as Ema graciously put on her own one while humming some simple tune.

"You'll understand if you manage to stick around for long enough," the woman beckoned her to get on the vehicle.

"Um, okay..." Yuzu complied and held onto her tightly.

"But I'll tell you so," suddenly, Ema chirped mischeviously. "Zaizens are no better than naive little rams. They must be protected at all costs. Got it, sweetie?"

"Heh, I guess so?" the girl smiled even though her eyes were still as big as saucers.

Ema gave her a tiny, almost childish giggle in response before starting the engine.

As they were riding through the city's busy streets she felt an elegant ring made of white gold wrap tighter around her finger, squeezing that mythical vein that went up directly to a human's heart and reminding about what was the essense and very purpose of the weird "Ema + Akira Unity".

" _Sunlit days of us... they are worth fighting for, right? Akira..._ "


End file.
